To save The Once And Future King
by melodycarstairs
Summary: Annabeth is sent back in time to save Arthur. She's not very pleased by this. Rated T for good measure.
1. Thanks for the present, mom

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or Merlin. This is my first fanfiction so please let me know if you have any ideas for the story. The pairings are as they are in the canon storylines. Enjoy!**

 **1\. Thanks for the present, mom.**

 **Annabeth**

Annabeth was furious. After everything they had done for them, the Gods wanted more. Of course, there was nothing that she could do about it. So she just stormed out of the Big House. She went to find Percy and tell him that she'd have to leave for a while.

Annabeth had been having a nice time with Malcolm that morning - discussing plans for building some of the minor gods' cabins. The last few months had been normal. All the campers were recovering from the Giant War. She, along with Percy (and Nico) had been experiencing nightmares from Tartarus. The only time they could sleep properly was when they were in each other's arms. As Annabeth pulled out some of the designs she'd worked on the last week, Katie Gardner had come to her cabin and told her that Chiron had requested her presence in the Big House.

Annabeth had immediately gone to the Big House. She greeted Chiron, but she was surprised to see the other occupant of the room. It was her mother - Athena. Annabeth immediately knew she was not going to like what was to come. She bowed to her mother. Athena smiled and nodded.

Chiron cleared his throat. "Lady Athena has a quest for you Annabeth."

Annabeth's eyes widened, but before she could protest, Athena spoke. "Just hear me out. You'll see that it's the right thing to do."

Annabeth sighed but didn't respond. The Goddess took that as a sign that she would not be interrupted in her explanation.

She started. "We won the Giant War."

Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"But we did not do so without a few allies", the Goddess continued. This piqued Annabeth's interest. There was someone who fought in the War on their side and the Seven didn't know about them?

"You have heard of Merlin, the sorcerer. Not only is he real, but he also helped our cause in the War." Annabeth's eyes shot up at the mention of Merlin. He was a legend. A bedtime story. But so was she, wasn't she? It was possible that he was real.

"Shouldn't he be dead?" Annabeth asked.

The Goddess shook her head. "He was cursed with immortality. Fated to wait for The Once And Future King to rise again."

Annabeth processed this. Of course the Gods had cursed the most powerful warlock. "What does this have to do with me?"

Athena sighed. "Merlin did not agree to help us without something in return. He wanted history to be changed. He wished that he had been taken instead of Arthur."

Annabeth's eyebrows creased. "Wouldn't that change the timeline? It would create a paradox."

"The Council has come up with a solution for this. You need not concern yourself over it. The Gods promised to Merlin that Arthur would live if Merlin helped in the War. After the War was won, the timeline would be changed. But what we failed to mention to him was that the Olympians have no control over time. Time is Kronos' domain."

Annabeth sighed.

"However", Athena continued, "We can send a demigod back in time to change the events." She paused to gauge Annabeth's reaction.

"And that demigod is me", Annabeth realized. "Why does it have to be me? Why not literally anyone else?"

"The Council chose you Annabeth."

Annabeth glared at her mother. After a few seconds, her shoulders slumped in defeat. "Percy's coming too right? We can't sleep without each other without having nightmares."

With a sad expression, Athena shook her head. "I'm afraid we have the power to send only one demigod back in time. However Hephaestus and Hermes have created a mist spraying machine that will allow you to communicate with Perseus at any time you want. Iris has gladly agreed to help."

Annabeth closed her eyes letting the information sink in. She would be separated from her Seaweed Brain. She fought to hold back tears. Realising there was no other way, she made her mind up. If this was going to happen, then the faster, the better. She opened her eyes. "When do I leave? And how do I come back?"

Athena smiled. "I am very sorry about this. I was against the decision to send you." Annabeth did not respond. "Very well, you leave tomorrow at dawn. Be prepared and present at Thalia's tree at 6.00 am. Hecate will meet you there and give you anything necessary." With that, the Goddess disappeared in a flash of brilliant white light. Annabeth and Chiron hid their eyes.

Once she was gone, Chiron smiled sadly at Annabeth. Annabeth nodded to him and stormed out of the Big House. Sure she had agreed to the quest (not that she had had much of a choice in the first place), but it did not mean that she had to like it.

 **Thanks for reading! Please let me know if there are any mistakes and review!**


	2. I get a seal and refuse to wear dresses

**Hey guys! I hope you liked that last chapter**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or Merlin.**

 **2\. I get a seal and refuse to wear dresses.**

 **Annabeth**

The next day, Annabeth woke up just minutes before she had to leave. She'd been up most of the night spending time with Percy and her other friends. To say Percy had taken the news badly would've been an understatement. He would've marched up to Olympus to swear at the Gods if she hadn't stopped him. She convinced him after 2 hours of trying. They'd both agreed that they'd IM atleast once every day. She had then packed everything she thought was necessary for a trip back in time. Percy had given her a vial of water from the fountain in his cabin, which she wore as a necklace along with her Camp Half Blood bead necklace. She had IMed Hazel, Frank and Reyna after packing, to tell them about the quest. They'd all wished her luck and smiled with sympathy. Annabeth was used to sympathetic smiles after coming back from Tartarus. She always smiled back and walked on.

After dinner, Chiron had officially announced Annabeth's quest to the Camp. She had spent the night singing in the campfire and then lying on the beach with her friends. The rest of the night (the harpies wouldn't let them stay on the beach all night) she had spent worrying about what would happen. After Tartarus, Annabeth wasn't afraid of much, but now she worried if she would be able to get back properly. Since there wasn't much she could learn about time travel, Annabeth had spent the rest of the night reading about Camelot and the reign of King Arthur.

After she woke up, Annabeth took her backpack which contained all her belongings and went to Percy's cabin. She knocked on the door. After a few seconds, there was a groggy "Come in," from inside. She entered the cabin and sat on the bed Percy was lying on. She smiled at him. "It's time, Seaweed Brain. I'm going to miss you so much."

Percy frowned and sat up. He looked so adorable with those sleepy eyes. She almost contemplated telling the Gods she wouldn't go. Almost.

"I'm going to miss you more, Wise Girl," he said. He leaned in and kissed her. She closed her eyes and savoured the moment. She raked her hand through his jet black hair, while he wrapped an arm around her waist. After a few seconds, they broke apart to catch their breath. "I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too," he replied. Annabeth got up and said goodbye. She left the cabin with tears stinging her eyes. She ran from his cabin to Thalia's tree. If she'd stayed any longer, she would've never gone. Once she reached the tree, Annabeth checked her watch. She was two minutes late. Hecate was nowhere to be seen. She cursed and looked around. Had Hecate left? This wouldn't be the first time an immortal was impatient. For all the time they had, they sure were more impatient than mortals.

"Annabeth," a voice sounded behind her. Immediately, her hand went to the drakon bone sword strapped to her thigh. She turned around. A beautiful woman in her early twenties stood there, wearing a dazzling white dress. "Lady Hecate," Annabeth bowed.

"You're late," the Titaness replied. Annabeth didn't say anything. She'd found from her boyfriend's experience that the way not to piss off an immortal was by shutting up. "I'm going to send you to a few years before Arthur is King. But don't worry, you will come back to the present in exactly one month, no matter at what time you leave Camelot. To come back, all you have to do is say these words." Hecate handed her a scroll, which Annabeth placed in her backpack. "I will have to stay in Camelot for years?" Annabeth asked, with barely concealed rage.

"Don't be a fool, you're supposed to be Athena's brightest daughter. you won't have to stay till Arthur becomes King. All you have to do is find Mordred and kill him," she paused. "Or become friends with Morgana and prevent her from going to the dark side." _That's all I have to do? Just befriend the most evil sorceress or kill the one responsible for bringing the fall of the great King Arthur._ She sighed and nodded. "Anything else I need to know?"

"Magic is banned in Camelot. Anyone found using it is punishable by death," Hecate said, disgusted. "Be careful about how you will explain your appearance in Camelot. Take these. You will tell anyone you meet that you are the princess of the 'Kingdom' of America. The scroll and seal are to reduce suspicion. The bottle will allow you to contact anyone you want to."

Annabeth took the items from Hecate.

"One more thing," Hecate said. "You should probably not wear those clothes in a medieval kingdom." Annabeth look down at herself. She was wearing jeans and a green t-shirt.

"I might be going to a medieval kingdom, but I'm not going to wear a dress. They don't allow for easy fighting. Besides, anyone I meet will just have to deal with it." Wearing a dress might've made her time in Camelot easier, but if any monsters from that time decided to greet her during her stay, she'd rather be prepared.

A small smile appeared on the Godess' face. "Well then," she said. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I can be," Annabeth replied. Hecate held her hand up and a white light shot from it. It hit Annabeth, and the breath was knocked out of her. It felt like someone had decided to fling a truck at her. Just as soon as the pain had come, it disappeared.

Her surroundings were disoriented. She could feel the ground beneath her. When she tried to focus, the world spun. She fell to the ground, but strangely, it didn't hurt as much as she would've expected it to. Darkness overtook her vision and she passed out with one thought. _She could've atleast warned me about this._

 **And that's it for this chapter! Hope you enjoyed this one. I know it's short but please stay with me. It's about to get interesting.**

 **I've searched for fanfics with Annabeth in the lead but I didn't find any. So I decided to write my own! Please review and tell me if there are any mistakes. Criticism is accepted. And I'd be happy to answer any questions you have or discuss any ideas for this story.**


	3. I meet Pointy Ears very briefly

**Here's chapter 3 finally!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything, blah, blah.**

 **3\. I meet Pointy Ears very briefly**

 **Annabeth**

As Annabeth woke up, she could hear voices. She didn't open her eyes, so that she could gauge if she was in danger. She remembered being given a quest by Athena and being shot by a bright light from Hecate and ending up unconscious. She realised that she must be in Camelot. The surface under her was soft. She remembers that she had landed on something soft, which must've been grass. The softness under her right now felt different. Perhaps a blanket or a mattress. She must have been _carried_ here. The thought made her uneasy. She could've died several times in the time she had been unconscious. She mentally cursed Hecate for it. She concentrated on the voices surrounding her.

"..unconscious because of lack of water. Pass that canteen, would you Merlin?" An elderly female voice asked. Merlin? She found him already? Well that _was_ quick. Not that she was complaining. She had thought she would have to go around asking for him. Deciding that she was under no immediate threat, she opened her eyes. She had to blink a few times to adjust to the light.

"She's awake!" A young boy exclaimed. Well he looked a year or two older than her. All the heads around her whipped to look at her. An elderly woman sat next to her on the bed. She assumed that she was the woman whom she'd heard speaking earlier. She had a kind look on her face. She reminded Annabeth of Sally.

"Where am I?" She asked, pretending to be clueless. She _was_ kind of clueless _._ All she knew was that she was back in time. She couldn't even be sure she had ended up in Camelot.

"You're in Ealdor." The boy said. He had a mischievous face and pointy ears. The sparkle in his eyes reminded her of Percy before Tartarus. That same mischievous smile and the same look which made anyone around them trust them. But Annabeth didn't trust him. He had done nothing wrong yet, but after Tartarus she had a hard time trusting anyone. "Do you remember how you came here?" The boy asked, breaking her out of her thoughts.

Annabeth shook her head. "All I remember is traveling towards Camelot with a few Knights," she lied.

A girl who had been standing quietly to her side said, "I'm afraid you're in Cenrid's Kingdom. Camelot is on the other way." She had chocolate brown skin and curly hair. Annabeth mentally cursed again. Hecate had said she'd be in Camelot, not some kingdom she's never heard of.

"What business do you have in Camelot?" A blonde man behind Pointy Ears - she really had to ask them their names. Calling him Pointy Ears was getting annoying - asked. She noticed that he was wearing better clothing than the rest of the people in the room. He must be important here. She decided to answer him without pissing him off. After all, she had to get these people to trust her so that they'd show her to Camelot.

"I am Princess Annabeth Chase of America. I was running away from my kingdom when it was attacked by a neighbouring kingdom. A few Knights had accompanied me but we were attacked by bandits. Last I saw them, only one was left and he helped me escape. I ran as far as my feet would take me. I must have fallen unconscious at some point." Annabeth said. She'd definitely worked on a cover story before going to sleep the previous day, in case Hecate didn't give her one. But now with the seal Hecate had given her, her story would sell easily. She dug around in her jeans' pocket and found the scroll and seal, and handed it to the blonde man. He took it and read through the scroll.

While he did so, Annabeth took the opportunity to properly look around the room she was in. It was cramped with the number of people in it. She caught the eye of the girl who had told her she was in Ealdor. The girl smiled. Annabeth gave her a small smile in return before looking away. The woman sitting next to her handed a canteen of water. She gratefully accepted it and drank from it. The woman had been right. She was parched and probably would have passed out from dehydration if she hadn't passed out because of Hecate's spell. She knew that it was dangerous to trust others but since these people had been trying to help her, she decided that they wouldn't be poisoning her.

The blonde man handed back the scroll and seal to her. "I'm Prince Arthur Pendragon of Camelot," he said. Annabeth's eyebrows shot up. He took her hand which rested on the bed and kissed it. She flinched slightly before blushing. No one had done _that_ before _._ She nodded at him. She would've bowed but she was sitting on the bed. "We leave to Camelot in two days. You are welcome to accompany us," he said.

"Thank you sire. I would be most grateful to accompany you," Annabeth replied.

Just then, a girl dressed in royal clothes, like Arthur, entered the room. "We need to start planning," she said. Arthur nodded.

He looked at Annabeth and said, "Get some rest, Princess. We will talk later. Gwen here," he pointed at the girl next to my bed, "will stay here with you. If you need anything, just ask her." He turned to look and Pointy Ears and said, "Come on, Merlin. We have work to do." With that, he left the room with the girl with royal clothes and Merlin. MERLIN. Pointy Ears was THE Merlin. Annabeth closed her eyes to process that. He wasn't an old man with a beard. She opened her eyes when the woman who sat at her bed introduced herself as Hunith and told Annabeth that she would be in the kitchen if she needed anything, and left.

Annabeth then turned towards Gwen. "Hey Gwen. I'm sorry you're stuck with me. You can leave if you want to. I'll be fine here."

Gwen looked surprised. "No, my lady. I don't mind accompanying you at all. You should get some rest. I'll wait right here if you need anything."

"I'm alright, Gwen. I don't need rest anymore," Annabeth told her. "Why are you just standing there? Come, sit." Annabeth patted on the bed beside her. Gwen looked surprised again, but she smiled and sat on the bed.

After a few awkward moments, Gwen said, "My lady, I will get you some proper clothes."

Annabeth was confused for a moment before she realised that she was just in her jeans and t-shirt. She shook her head at Gwen. "There's no need for that. In my kingdom, women are allowed to wear trousers if it pleases them," she said.

Gwen simply nodded.

"Can you tell me what's going on? What is everyone planning?" Annabeth asked.

"Kanin and his men attacked Ealdor. Merlin's mother came to Camelot seeking help from King Uther. He denied to help Ealdor as the village is in Cenrid's kingdom and sending soldiers here would be an act of war." Gwen explained.

"What is Arthur doing here then? And who was that girl who came in before?" Annabeth asked.

"Arthur, the Lady Morgana - the girl who came in - and I came here to help Merlin. Uther doesn't know that we're here. The Lady Morgana is the King's ward. I am her servant." Annabeth's eyes widened a fraction at the mention of Morgana. She would have to befriend her. Morgana didn't seem evil right now, so perhaps there was still time to prevent her from going dark.

"Arthur and the rest of them are making a plan to defeat Kanin and his men. They will attack tomorrow and we need to be prepared," Gwen continued. At this, Annabeth sat up. This would be the perfect time to make everyone trust her. She could help them in the fight. Besides, she wasn't about to let a barbarian pillage these poor villagers.

"Hey, Gwen?" Annabeth said. "Let me help. I want to fight tomorrow too. You have all been very kind to me and I want to pay you back. Take me to Arthur."

Gwen's eyes widened. "No my lady!" She exclaimed. "Arthur would never accept your help. You are our guest here."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "You look like you could use all the help you can get. Besides, I'll be very helpful. After all, I'm the battle strategist and key fighter in my kingdom," Annabeth said and swung her legs over the bed, and stood up. Gwen looked shocked. Probably that the Princess would fight. Annabeth smirked. "So are you going to show me to the Prince?"

 **Please review!**


	4. Arthur is a brat, threatening letters

**Hi again! Hope you liked that last chapter. Here's the next one. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin or Percy Jackson and the Olympians or The Heroes of Olympus.**

 **4\. Arthur Is A Brat And We Get Threatening Notes**

 **Annabeth**

Gwen lead Annabeth outside the small hut Annabeth had woke up in. Arthur appeared to be traiJning the village men. "..keep your feet moving, and only stay in range long enough to land your blow. And again!. One! Two! Three! Four!" Arthur was counting and the men were trying to learn.

Annabeth and Gwen walk towards Morgana who was watching the men train. As she noticed them coming towards her, she bowed slightly to Annabeth. "Princess," she said, "I don't believe we've been acquainted yet. I'm Morgana Pendragon, King Uther's ward."

Annabeth's suspicions were confirmed. Morgana was not evil. Yet. She returned Morgana's gesture with a small smile. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Princess Annabeth Chase of the Kingdom America." Annabeth didn't really ind lying to these people. She barely knew them, and if it was up to her, she'd finish her work and leave as soon as possible. But that seemed impossible, now that she'd found Morgana and had to befriend her to prevent her turning evil. Annabeth still didn't trust the Olympians' judgement. Athena had told her that there would be no paradox but Annabeth hadnt heard one story - fictional or otherwise - which hadn't ended badly where time travel was involved. But for now, she would follow the orders given to her.

"You should be resting, Princess." Morgana's voice cut through her musings. Annabeth had to admit that she was rather pretty. She was tall, with dark hair and a sweet smile and her eyes were trustworthy. She wondered how such a person could become the sorceress who would bring the downfall of the great King Arthur. _But then,_ she reminded herself, _so_ _was everyone else who betrayed. Luke._ Annabeth shook her head slightly to rid thoughts of him from her mind. "I'm alright now," she reassured. "I came here to help you plan the battle against the raiders."

At this, Morgana raised an eyebrow. "Don't worry, Princess. We will "take care of it. You should go back to the hut and rest."

"Please call me Annabeth. I don't like titles very much." Annabeth said. "You have all been very kind to me in a land I barely know. The least I could do is help you with my skills, which look like they could be used." Annabeth didn't want to sound prideful, but she had to let them help her. Telling them about her abilities was the only option.

"Very well, Annabeth." Morgana replied. "I was just about to tell Arthur that I would be fighting. Now, there'll be two of us to convince him. And call me Morgana."

Annabeth nodded and smiled. They both turned to Gwen. "Men aren't the only ones who can fight," is the only thing Gwen said before turning towards Arthur and the training men. The three of them walked towards Arthur. He seemed surprised. Annabeth concluded that it was because she was up and walking when she'd been unconscious for atleast half a day. She rolled her eyes inwardly. Apparently Arthur was a stuck-up, pompous brat. Who knew?

Morgana was the first to speak. "Arthur, we have decided that we want to fight too." Her eyes shone with rebelliousness, as if she already knew what his answer would be. Everyone knew what his answer would be.

" _We?"_ Arthurasked incredulously. He was looking at Annabeth now.

Annabeth shrugged. "I want to help. And from the looks of it, so do they." She pointed at Gwen and Morgana.

"Absolutely not!" Arthur said. "It's too dangerous." _Gods_! Annabeth thought. _What is it about men that makes them feel we're incapable of handling ourselves?_

 _"_ With all due respect, Your Highness," she said, "we can take care of ourselves. Besides, you look like you could use a hand, or more, here."

Arthur looked taken aback. After a few moments he seemed to regain his composure. "No. And my decision is final." With that, he stomped off to Gods know where. She sighed. "Is he always like this?" She asked no one in particular.

"Arrogant and annoying?" Morgana asked. "I'm afraid so."

They were all gathered in Hunith's house. Arthur and Merlin were asleep. Gwen, Morgana and Annabeth were discussing what would happen. "We don't stand a chance," Gwen said.

"Arthur can't see that." Morgana replied. "He's too stubborn."

"Why do you think he came here?" Gwen asked.

"The same reason we did." Annabeth couldn't see the expression on Morgana's face in the night. "Merlin. Arthur may act like he doesn't care, but he wouldn't be here if he didn't." So maybe he wasn't all a pompous brat. Maybe, one day, he would be the great king the legends talked about. With that thought, Annabeth prayed to Morpheus for a dreamless sleep and closed her eyes.

The next day was spent in training the men more. Everything was going according to plan (Annabeth wasn't sure that there was one) until they heard a scream. It turned out that one of the villagers was shot with an arrow with a threatening note attached. This created a whole scene where a boy, who was Merlin's friend by the looks of it, started blaming Arthur. Annabeth didn't get involved in it.

That night, all the villagers were gathered in a common building in Ealdor. Arthur was addressing them. "Tomorrow morning, the women and children should gather what belongings they can carry and go to the woods."

Gwen, despite all her shyness, stood up. "We're not going anywhere!" She exclaimed. Annabeth smiled at this. Gwen was a really sweet girl, but she was also brave. She could get used to being around her.

"I know you want to help. The women can't stay here. It's too dangerous." Arthur said.

Annabeth stood up. "The women have as much right to fight for their lives as men do. Do not underestimate a woman's strength, Your Highness."

"But none of you know how to fight." Arthur countered.

"That's not entirely true." Annabeth said.

Before Arthur could reply, Gwen said, "The more of us there are, the better chance we stand." The women gathered step forward and agree.

Arthur sighs. "This is your home. If you want to fight to defend it, that's your choice. I'd be honoured to stand alongside you. Kanen attacks tomorrow. Kanen's brutal. He fights only to kill, which is .why he'll never defeat us. Look around. In this circle, we're all equals. You're not fighting because someone's ordering you to, you're fighting for so much more than that. You fight for your homes. You fight for your family. You fight for your friends. You fight for the right to grow crops in peace. And if you fall, you fall fighting for the noblest of causes: fighting for your very right to survive! And when you're old and grey, you'll look back on this day, and you'll know you earned the right to live every day in between! So you fight! For your family! For your friends! For Ealdor!" Arthur's words reminded Annabeth of the wars she had fought in. The demigods had fought exactly for the same thing. Survival. Their right to live. And they'd won, despite many losses. Annabeth was proud of her fellow demigods. This reminded her that she hadn't called Percy yet. It had been two days, but she hadn't found time alone. An Iris Message would definitely be counted as magic and she didn't fancy being executed for something so stupid when she'd survived two wars. Annabeth promised herself that she would call as soon as she found time alone. Percy must be worried sick!

When Annabeth looked up, everyone had dispersed for the night. Arthur was the only one in the room. He was looking off into the distance. He eyebrows were clenched and a frown was set on his face. "We will win tomorrow," she said quietly. Arthur jumped. He seemed to have not noticed that she was still there.

"I don't know." he said. "I'm leading these villagers into a battle which could be a lost cause. If any of them die, then it will be my fault." He reminded Annabeth of Percy. He was always taking the blame and carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. Though Arthur didn't yet carry the world like Percy, he would one day. And right now, he looked as lost as a Percy used to look.

She walked up to him. Hesitating, she put a hand on his shoulder. "Have faith, Arthur. In yourself and these people. As you said, they're fighting for survival. If that isn't enough to drive them to win, I don't know what is."

Arthur looked at her and smiled. "Thank you. You didn't have to help us, but you are. I cannot be more grateful." He took her hand and kissed it once again. Annabeth fought the urge to blush. She was not yet used to it. She managed to smile back.

"I can help you with the strategies tomorrow," she said. "And before you refuse, you might want to know that I am the key strategist in my Kingdom. I learnt a lot about battle and planning from my mother. She is an exceptionally skilled warrior. So, let me help out."

Arthur looked like he was about to comment on her mother being a warrior, but thought better of it. _Wise._ He nodded. "We need to get some sleep if we're going to win this tomorrow," he said. He turned and left. Annabeth waited for a few moments before walking into the woods and IMing Percy. Tomorrow was going to be a long day and she needed to talk to Percy before being able to function any more.

 **I'm sorry the story is moving so slowly, but please bear with me. The next chapter will have the fight scene and Annabeth finally going to Camelot.**


	5. I Throw Some Arrows Out Of The Way

**I know, I know. I'm horrible at updating, but I've had a lot of exams this whole time. I'll try to update better but I make no promises.**

 **This is is my first story and I'm going to warn all of you right now that the writing is going to be terrible for this chapter. If you still decide to stick around, then thank you and enjoy the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own yada, yada..**

 **5\. I throw some arrows out of the way.**

 **Annabeth**

When Annabeth woke up the next morning, the tension and fear lingering in the air was so thick, she could've cut through it with her bone dagger. The villagers were all antsy about what was going to happen. Annabeth didn't blame them - after all, their survival depended on today's outcome. She had just had breakfast that Hunith had graciously prepared for her, and all the guests to Ealdor. She walked to the hut in front of which everyone was gathered to make plans to take down Kanen, with Gwen. She was bringing Arthur his food. Arthur and Merlin were a couple of steps ahead, bantering. Annabeth found it amusing. She certainly hadn't though the great Merlin would be a servant, but she was more surprised to see that while Arthur and the warlock weren't friends (atleast they wouldn't admit to it if asked), there seemed to be a very strong bond between them. She could imagine how devastated Merlin would've been when Arthur died. And that wasn't going to happen for a couple more years, so their friendship would've grown much stronger. If Annabeth had any say in it now (and she did, thanks to the Gods), she wouldn't lt anything come between their not-exactly-friendship.

Annabeth had talked to Percy the previous day. Thankfully, nobody had caught her doing so. Otherwise it would've been hard to explain what she was doing. Percy had been ecstatic to talk to her. She told him of everything that had happened since she left. Percy had rolled his eyes when he heard that Hecate hadn't as much as given her a warning that she would lose consciousness after traveling back in time, but they were both used to the Gods being inconsiderate by now. As much as they wished they weren't. They had talked for a bit longer and before going to sleep, Annabeth had told Percy not to IM her as she might be around other people here. She promised him that she would IM him instead. If she didn't IM for three days continuously, then she must be in a problem. He could go to Chiron. Percy had agreed. As much as she would like to call him a Seaweed Brain, her boyfriend wasn't stupid. He knew when to accept the situation.

Arthur and Merlin stop in the woods. Merlin goes off somewhere Annabeth doesn't bother trying to keep track of. That boy wandered around so much with the tasks Arthur gave him that she stopped trying to keep his location in mind all the time. Gwen hands Arthur the bowl Hunith had given her. "Arthur, Hunith made you some food."

"Thanks," he replies to Gwen and she turns to leave. "I think," Arthur mutters after a second. Gwen turns around with anger in her features, but before she can say anything, Annabeth beats her to it.

"Food is scarce for these people, Arthur! You shouldn't tuen your nose up at it!" She exclaims. Arthur stares at her. Annabeth doesn't look away or try to apologize. After a few seconds, Arthur looks away.

Annabeth thinks that's the end of it, but he says, "Thank you. You're right. And you were right to call me out on it. I should've listened to you three. We're going to need all the help that we can get."

"We'll be fine." Annabeth assures him.

"How can you be so sure?" Arthur asks her. This time, it's Gwen who replies. "Because we have faith in you."

Arthur looks at them both and thanks them.

Gwen, Arthur, Merlin and Annabeth are in their position, hiding. Kanen and his men ride out of the woods and into the village. Annabeth can easily pick out Kanen from the group. Next to her, she can see Gwen's jaw tense. She puts her hand on Gwen's and smiles at her. "We can do this," she whispers. Gwen nods with determination in her eyes. Annabeth returns her gaze to the men on horses. She isn't scares in the slightest - she's faces much, much worse, but she's only concerned for the villagers' safety. She knows that they will win this battle (the history books prove it), but she intends to minimise the casualties as much as she can. Even though Annabeth had helped Arthur with the plan to put Kanen and his men off, he hadn't given her an important job, which would put her in the crossfire. She understood this as he wouldn't want a royal guest to be wounded under his watch. She doesn't mind much, because now, she can easily help anyone who needs help without feeling guilty of abandoning her post.

"Come out, come out wherever you are!" Kanen calls, turning around on horseback. The villagers don't waste much time. On their cue, Gwen and another villager pull up a hidden gate, trapping the riders inside. At this point, Morgana is supposed to light a fire, but something seems to have gone wrong as they see no fire.

"Now Morgana. What are you waiting for? Something's gone wrong," Arthur says. Merlin runs off, probably to find Morgana and help her light the fire. "Merlin!" Arthur calls after him while Annabeth shakes her head at him to stay quiet and not give away their position. When they turn back to look at what's happening, they hear Kanen tell one of his men, "There's one. Get him!" Annabeth swears under her breath but doesn't move as she knows this isn't the day Merlin dies. If Arthur heard her swear, he doesn't show it. Merlin dodges an arrow that zips past him, and disappears around another hut.

"Come back! Don't run away!" Kanin taunts. More of Kanen's men appear in the village.

"Now!" Arthur signals. Annabeth lifts herself up from her crouched position and instead of running to somewhere where there are less people to fight, like Arthur had asked her to, she runs alongside him. He gives her an exasperated look which she returns with a smirk. As they reach Kanen, Arthur takes him on. Annabeth Ducks down to avoid a swinging sword at her from a man to Kanen's right. She sees that these men have no actual fighting style or training, just brute strength. This was definitely a bonus for her. As she ducks, Annabeth swipes the attacker's foot from below him and pushes her dagger into his palm, pinning him to th ground. As many monsters as Annabeth has faced, she's never had to kill a human before. She doesn't plan on doing so now, so she just renders them useless in the battle. She quickly pulls out her dagger and spins around to face another attacker. When he comes within her range, she jumps up and twists her body to kick his sword out of his arm. When he loses his balance, she punches him in the face and she hears a satisfying crack from his jaw as he goes down, unconscious. She turns to look at how Arthur is doing and spots him duelling Kanen. She has to admit that he's not bad - while he might not be as good as Percy, Nico or Jason, he was definitely not an amateur.

She hears a man scream in anger behind Arthur and sees that he's about to stab him in the back. Annabeth doesn't think twice before putting herself between Arthur and the man. Her eyes become stormy with the knowledge that this man was going to stab someone in the back. She scowls and raises an eyebrow before running into him with all her weight. He crashes to the ground with her on top. She quickly gets up with her foot on his chest, so that there nowhere he can run to. She grabs her blade and bending down, she whacks him on his head with the dagger. He immediately passes out.

When Annabeth looks up next, a windstorm is surrounding Kanen's men. This serves as an excellent distraction. Annabeth knows that Merlin is to be thanked for it. The villagers gladly take the opportunity to strike Kanen's men down. When the storm subsides, most of his men are down. In the corner of her eye, she sees Gwen and Morgana hug. Kanen looked mad. Well madder than he already was. He stomps towards Arthur. "Pendragon!"

Arthur and Kanen fight. Thankfully Annabeth doesn't have to intervene as Arthur wins, running Kanen through with his sword. Annabeth winces. Before she can ponder on it though, Arthur stomps toward Merlin and his friend, whose name she'd learned was Will. "Who did that?" He demands.

"What?" Merlin squeaks. Annabeth rolls her eyes. He was a terrible liar, but he seems to have fooled everyone.

"Wind like that doesn't just appear from nowhere. I know magic when I see it. One of you made that happen." Arthur states.

Merlin looks very uncomfortable and possibly scared now. "Arthur.." He tries to say but before he can get through that statement, Annabeth catches a movement at the corner of her eye.

"Watch out!" She exclaims at the same time Will screams "Look out!" and throws himself at Arthur. Befor Kanen's arrow reaches where Arthur stood (and now Will stands), Annabeth's bone dagger hits it and it falls away.

For a moment, everyone looks stunned and all eyes fall on her. Arthur stands up and looks at Will first and then Annabeth. His eyes are wide with shock. "You just saved my life," he tells Annabeth. Annabeth bites her lip and shrugs. He turns towards Will and thanks him too. "You put your life on the line for me," he says.

"Yeah. Don't know what I was thinking." Will replies. Arthur just laughs and shakes his head. "That's teice I've saved you," Will continues. Annabeth's brows furrow for a moment before she realised what was happening.

"Twice?" Arthur questions.

"Yeah," Will says, "it was me. I'm the one that used to magic." Arthur looks even more shocked, while Merlin was shaking his head. "Will don't." At this, Arthur looks at Merlin.

"It's alrigh, Merlin," Will says, "I trust him." He looks at Arthur. "I did it. I saw how desperate things were becoming and I had to do something."

"You're a sorcerer?" Arthur asks, as if it wasn't obvious what he was implying.

"Yeah. What are you going to do? Kill me?"

"No. Of course not!" Arthur says. "You saved my life, and everyone else's in this village." With that, he walks away into the woods. It must have been difficult for him to see magic, a weapon he's been told since birth was evil, be used for good. Annabeth had to give him some credit for not exploding about it. He'd dealt with it quite impressively though he'd walked away from the scene.

After congratulating Gwen and Morgana for winning the battle, Annabeth herself heads off to the woods. After all that happened, she wants be alone for some time before they leave to Camelot. She probably won't get a chance to IM Percy while traveling, so she might as well do it now. Everyone in the village was celebrating and no one had a reason to come to the woods right now. Some distance into the forest, she sees Arthur. Apparently he had still not gone back to the village. _Well_ , she thought, _so_ _much for alone time._ She decides to head back but before she can turn, Arthur turns to see who had come into the woods. When he seen her, Annabeth gives him a small smile.

"Thank you," Arthur says. "You saved my life today. Either I or Will would be bleeding on ground right now if it wasn't for you, Princess."

"Please call me Annabeth," she replies. "And I'm glad I could save you. I'd be beating myself up otherwise."

He laughs at that but quickly stops. "You're very skilled at fighting." He states. Annabeth simply stares at him, silently asking him to continue. "When you told me you were skilled yesterday, I admit I was skeptical about it. Women don't fight in Camelot."

"Where I come from, women are equal to men, in all respects. A woman can join the Kingdom's army if she wants and she can choose to stay at home if she wants. As I told you, my mother is an excellent strategist and she passed on her skills to me. I have trained to fight since I was 7." Annabeth stops herself from saying anything else. She's already shared too much, but Arthur seems to be deep in thought.

"It would be my honor to take you to Camelot, Annabeth," he says. "My father will be very pleased to meet you."

"It would be my honor to be your guest as well, Prince Arthur," she tells him genuinely.

"If you're staying in Camelot for some time then there will have to be some changes." Arthur says. Annabeth narrows her eyes, not knowing where this conversion was going now. If Arthur asks her to change her choice of clothes like Gwen, Hunith and Morgana had, she might deck him right then and there. She doesn't care that he's the Prince and they'd just had a polite conversation. But what he says relieves her of any urges to deck him. "You'll have to call me Arthur, no titles. Atleast when we're alone"

 **Aaand** **we're done for now. This chapter is longer than usual so I hope it makes up for not having updated properly. Also, I hope you enjoyed the story from Annabeth's POV. The fight scene is entirely made up. It won't match completely with the episode but the basics are the same. I had to fit Annabeth in. Next chapter, they'll all be in Camelot. To inform you guys, this isn't an Arthur/Annabeth story. Percabeth for life. All the pairings will be canon.**

 **Please review and tell me if there are any mistakes. Thanks for reading!**


End file.
